I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
As I journal each morning in my conversational prayer with God, the Father, His Spirit guides me to make another list that helps me to mature and grow in Him. I am convicted of some of those “fruits of the Spirit” that I have not tended to or cultivated, have ignored or left undone. His Holy Spirit redirects my thoughts and helps me form a list of tasks that will help me improve my behavior. “Keep a close check on yourself”, writes Paul to Timothy. For me, that means to make a spiritual checklist that keeps me in close contact with the will and purpose of our Father, God and helps me to grow closer to Him.
We can do nothing of significance without God. I am convinced that He guides us to all things that are good for our growth and aid our learning about Him and how He works. Paul also gives Timothy sound advice about how to treat those whom God has called to lead with character traits with another list of how to lead. This list still applies to us today. The theme of this episode seems to be; Know God, Know Yourself, Know The Message, Know Your Audience. Our deeds, good and bad, will be evident. Be driven by God’s love in us.
1 Timothy 5, The Message
17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”
19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.
20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.
21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.
24-25 The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
Leadership Characteristics –
–Fully rely on God. Trust Him with all you are and all you have. We are His. All we have is His.
–Ask God “if there is anything offensive to you, cleanse me.” as the Psalmist prayed.
–Repent with a heart and mind not wanting to return to the old life.
–Look full into the face of Jesus, our Master, Lord and Savior with laser focus so we know what direction to take next.
–“Keep a close check on yourself.” Avoid, “he did it, I can, too” or “my sin is not as bad as his sin” or “everybody’s doing it” mentality.
–Ask God for wisdom, insight and understanding.
–Allow God’s transformation to continue in our lives.
–Ask God to make your lists of to BE and to DO. HE will prioritize your lists in ways you cannot imagine! Where He guides, He provides help all along the journey.
–Do all in a Spirit of love for God and others.
–Care enough to confront others with God’s love and concern for their spiritual well-being and growth.
WarningThe things on our spiritual check list can never be crossed off because we’ll be working on them our whole lives. By listing we are reminding ourselves of what we need to work on to “keep a close check” on our lives. It is only by The Atonement of Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything of eternal significance.
Dear Heavenly Father, You have convinced me that we must do spiritual “business” with You each day to improve our being in You. Thank you for helping us on this journey. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit that points out things in our behavior that could cause us to crash…before crashing. Thank you for always being with us, guiding and directing, loving and protecting and challenging us to grow and bear Fruit. Continue to transform me. Transform your church. Transform the world through your church. In Jesus Name, Amen
ALL believe our God is amazing! All believers agree God listens. Most believers trust God in all circumstances and have learned that pain is gain on our faith journey with Him. Many turn to God first when overwhelmed with despair. But it seems there are only a few who are completely honest in our lament before God in surrender of will with knowledge of our incompleteness.
The writer of Psalms 101 is praying, crying out to God, with lament. I remember my own lament to God last week. Then my mind takes me to the lament of Isaiah, the prophet we quote often. Isaiah was God’s spokesperson in a world of lament for His people. The great prophet, Isaiah lamented as he expressed his own humanness of imperfection before our Perfect God in ways that bring us to our knees. We have all been called of God to tell others of our Redeeming Savior but we also lament over our inadequacies in fulfilling this command of Jesus. When God speaks as we stand in His Holy Presence, it personal. We are undone and broken before Him—surrendered to Him. This is exactly when God does His best work in us as He molds and shapes us into all He created us to be and do.
Let us learn from Isaiah. Isaiah, who was called of God to speak for Him to others of their sins fell to his knees before God, “ruined and terrified” after seeing God in a glorious vision. Isaiah immediately realized his own sin and the wrong words of his people when standing in the presence of the Holy God.
There is something real and powerful when we stand in the Holy Presence of God with fully focused eyes and ears ready to hear what He says. Listen in with all that is within us to hear what is going on between God and Isaiah;
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted! —and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,
Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies. His bright glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,
‘Doom! It’s Doomsday! I’m as good as dead! Every word I’ve ever spoken is tainted— blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!”
Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,
‘Look. This coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out.’ And then I heard the voice of the Master: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
I spoke up, ‘I’ll go. Send me!’
He said, “Go and tell this people:
‘Listen hard, but you aren’t going to get it; look hard, but you won’t catch on.’ Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, So they won’t see a thing, won’t hear a word, So they won’t have a clue about what’s going on and, yes, so they won’t turn around and be made whole.’
Astonished, I said, ‘And Master, how long is this to go on?’ He said, ‘Until the cities are emptied out, not a soul left in the cities— Houses empty of people, countryside empty of people. Until I, God, get rid of everyone, sending them off, the land totally empty. And even if some should survive, say a tenth, the devastation will start up again. The country will look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down— Every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps. But there’s a holy seed in those stumps.’” Isaiah 6:1-13, MSG
Read the lament of our psalmist while thinking about Isaiah’s words…
Psalm 102, The Message
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1-2 God, listen! Listen to my prayer, listen to the pain in my cries. Don’t turn your back on me just when I need you so desperately. Pay attention! This is a cry for help! And hurry—this can’t wait!
3-11 I’m wasting away to nothing, I’m burning up with fever. I’m a ghost of my former self, half-consumed already by terminal illness. My jaws ache from gritting my teeth; I’m nothing but skin and bones. I’m like a buzzard in the desert, a crow perched on the rubble. Insomniac, I twitter away, mournful as a sparrow in the gutter. All day long my enemies taunt me, while others just curse. They bring in meals—casseroles of ashes! I draw drink from a barrel of my tears. And all because of your furious anger; you swept me up and threw me out. There’s nothing left of me— a withered weed, swept clean from the path.
12-17 Yet you, God, are sovereign still, always and ever sovereign. You’ll get up from your throne and help Zion— it’s time for compassionate help. Oh, how your servants love this city’s rubble and weep with compassion over its dust! The godless nations will sit up and take notice —see your glory, worship your name— When God rebuilds Zion, when he shows up in all his glory, When he attends to the prayer of the wretched. He won’t dismiss their prayer.
18-22 Write this down for the next generation so people not yet born will praise God: “God looked out from his high holy place; from heaven he surveyed the earth. He listened to the groans of the doomed, he opened the doors of their death cells.” Write it so the story can be told in Zion, so God’s praise will be sung in Jerusalem’s streets And wherever people gather together along with their rulers to worship him.
23-28 God sovereignly brought me to my knees, he cut me down in my prime. “Oh, don’t,” I prayed, “please don’t let me die. You have more years than you know what to do with! You laid earth’s foundations a long time ago, and handcrafted the very heavens; You’ll still be around when they’re long gone, threadbare and discarded like an old suit of clothes. You’ll throw them away like a worn-out coat, but year after year you’re as good as new. Your servants’ children will have a good place to live and their children will be at home with you.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
“Bring everything to God in prayer” is the hymn we sing; but do we?
What am I holding back? I’m asking myself this question this morning as I write this with God’s Holy Spirit guiding me in a session of counsel, conviction, correction, comfort, while compelling me to be more and more like Him in every way. May we seek to lament in healthy ways that grow our faith!
Here’s what we learn from the Psalmist and Isaiah:
IN OUR LAMENT, WE SEE OUR IMPERFECTIONS BEFORE A PERFECT GOD!
“Before we can minister to others, we must permit God to minister to us. Before we pronounce bad news and God’s judgment upon others, we must sincerely admit our own sin and inadequacies. Isaiah’s conviction led to confession, and confession led to cleansing (see 1 John 1:9). Like Isaiah, many of the other great heroes of faith saw themselves as sinners and humbled themselves before God: Abraham (Gen. 18:27), Jacob (Gen. 32:10), Job (Job 40:1–5), David (2 Sam. 7:18), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15), and Peter (Luke 5:8–11).”—Warren Wiersbe, Wiesbe Study Bible
God warned Isaiah that his ministry would end in seeming failure, with the land ruined and the people taken off to exile. But a remnant would survive! It would be like the stump of a fallen tree from which the shoots (“the holy seed”) would come, and they would continue the true faith in the land. Isaiah needed a long-range perspectiveon his ministry or else he would feel like he was accomplishing nothing—God provided exactly what His spokesperson would need in His lament to God! Our God is amazing, always Good, forever faithful, loving, and compassionate in our lament to Him.
LEARNING HAPPENS IN OUR LAMENTS WHEN WE LISTEN—
Doubts are express by the committed but always addressed by the God they know personally—not because of unbelief per say in God but in what we do not know yet. We know God will answer with wisdom, insight, and understanding beyond what we possess at any given moment in our lament. Relax, I’m still figuring this out for myself, but I know enough about God to seek God more and more—especially in and through my laments to Him.
HONEST LAMENTS SERVE TO GROW OUR FAITH IN OUR GOD WHO LISTENS!
I’m thinking now of a humbled, committed woman of God who served in the streets of Calcutta, India. After many years of service, she was interviewed and asked, “When you pray, what do you say to God?” He asked this because of how she served those who others had rejected because of their wounds and filth. Mother Teresa replied, “I don’t talk, I simply listen.”
HOLY GOD HEARS ALL LAMENSTS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPASSION
Still not convinced? Consider Hagar. The story of Hagar is found in Genesis 16 of the Bible. Hagar was a lonely, mistreated, and pregnant slave by Abraham who ran away into the desert. God found her there, listened to her distress, and named her unborn son Ishmael, which means “God hears”!
Hagar named God El Roi, meaning “the God who sees me”.
GOD SEES OUR HEARTS, KNOWS OUR NAME, HEARS OUR LAMENTS AND RESPONDS WITH COMPASSION TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIS NAME.
Just calling on His Name gets the attention of God. This is the seed of faith that begins to grow exponentially by God within us as God answers with the majesty of power and strength coupled with His unconditional love, unending mercy, and amazing grace. There is no one like our God!
There is nothing we cannot bring to God in prayer in surrender to His will. There is nothing we have done that god will not forgive. It is God’s desire that all the people He has created would not perish but be saved by grace. THIS is our God.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
There is no one that God does not love. We must love like God Loves us.
Lord,
As I stand in your Holy Presence this morning; I am undone. Remove all that does not belong within me. Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of you in us and us in you. Thank you for ministering to us this morning. Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole. To you be all glory, honor, and praise!
Although Psalms 99–100 have unknown authors, Psalm 101 was written by David. Early in his reign, he recorded the standards of conduct he wanted to follow. God can be praised and trusted by believers in Him because God is holy, good, and perfect. All believers should be motivated to honorable conduct because of our precious, intimate, growing relationship with the God of all!
What standards of conduct are we following and committing to each morning as we surrender all to the One who saved us because of His unfailing love for us?
Psalm 101, The Message
Of David. A psalm.
1-8 My theme song is God’s love and justice, and I’m singing it right to you, God. I’m finding my way down the road of right living, but how long before you show up? I’m doing the very best I can, and I’m doing it at home, where it counts. I refuse to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things. I reject made-in-Canaan gods, stay clear of contamination. The crooked in heart keep their distance; I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil. I put a gag on the gossip who bad-mouths his neighbor; I can’t stand arrogance.
But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people— they’re the ones I want working with me; Men and women on the straight and narrow— these are the ones I want at my side. But no one who traffics in lies gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars. I’ve rounded up all the wicked like cattle and herded them right out of the country. I purged God’s city of all who make a business of evil.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
All of us reading this right now probably have not been called and anointed by God to be king like David. We certainly do not have the authority over a nation; but we do have all authority from God in heaven to tell everyone who does have full authority over all He has created. In fact, we are commanded and commission to go and tell the Good News of salvation from God, in Jesus Name, with His authority, as Christ’s ambassadors! God’s Word proves His promises.
The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”—Jesus, Matthew 28:16-20
We Are God’s Ambassadors
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”For God made Christ, who never sinned,to be the offering for our sin, so thatwe could be made right with God through Christ.”—Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
So, we ask ourselves the question again given what we know to be true: What standards of conduct are we following and committing to each morning as we surrender all to the One who saved us because of His unfailing love for us?
Psalm 101’s theme song begins with our hearts, for the heart of leadership is the leader’s devotion and commitment to the Lord. This disciplined devotion results in a life lived blamelessly to the glory of the Lord. David was determined to be that kind of leader, and he opened the psalm with “I will” and repeated this promise eight more times. He made it clear that there must be no separation between the leader’s personal life and his or her official life, the private and the public. David wanted his reign to be characterized by love and justice, for this is the way God rules the world (89:14; Is. 16:5). We must choose leaders who believe in God, listen to God, trust and obey God. To do that wisely; we must believe, listen, surrender, trust and obey ourselves!
What is our “I will…”? Pray, listen the God’s Holy Spirit speak to us today.
Lord,
I’m yours. I’m listening. Guide me in all I think, say, and do. I surrender my will to yours.
What a blessing it truly is for God and for us when we enter the gates of our church buildings, dedicated to God with pure, humbled, grateful praise for God—without anything else coming from our lips, laying down the worries of the world, offering ourselves in surrender to God, with a desire for Him to renew our minds—all in that holy moment of worship. It’s all about Him in that moment set aside for God. It is not about us but all about Him! The more we know God the more we want God. Worship becomes then a daily desire to be in the Presence of God.
“My Jesus, my Savior Lord, there is none like You All of my days, I want to praise The wonders of Your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am Never cease to worship You”
“On your feet now” cries the Psalmist!
“Shout to the Lord All the earth, let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King (Mountains bow down) Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have in You…”
(Composer, Darlene Zschech)
This is the song of a grateful people who love the Lord, desiring to give Him praise for all He has done, is doing and will do for us for our God is forever faithful, His mercies last a lifetime, and His love for us never ends! This is our God, the One and Only God! He is the One we worship with gratitude flowing from our created beings because we long for Him and want to be near Him always. We know Him more as we honor Him with hearts of active praise for Him. God was, is, and always will be God! God is right here as I write this to you!
My comfort, My shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, and all that I am Never cease to worship You…
Psalm 100, The Message
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.
3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.
5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.
Psalm 100, NIV (Because it bears repeating!)
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
But don’t take just my word for it—Warren Wiersbe, Bible Scholar and devoted pastor writes the Truth, proving Truth of God’s Word with God’s Word! He comments;
“This psalm is a fitting climax to the collection of “royal psalms” (Ps. 93; 95–100) and sums up their emphasis on God’s sovereign rule, His goodness to His people, the responsibility of all nations to acknowledge Him, and the importance of God’s people exalting and worshiping Him (see 95:1, 2, 6, 7). We are admonished in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Spirit of God, and the evidence of this fullness is that we are joyful (Eph. 5:19), thankful (Eph. 5:20), and submissive (Eph. 5:21—6:9). In Colossians 3:16–25, we are instructed to be filled with the Word of God, and when we are, we will be joyful (Col. 3:16), thankful (Col. 3:17), and submissive (Col. 3:20–25). These three characteristics of the believer controlled by God’s Spirit and God’s Word—and they go together—are presented in this wonderful psalm of thanksgiving.”
This entire psalm is a simple statement of faith: Jehovah is God, Creator, Redeemer, and Shepherd, and we are submitted to Him. It is HE who made us. We didn’t make us. If the sheep do not submit to their shepherd, they will stray into danger. Our shepherd knows where to look for us, pursues us, with a desire to bring us home to Him. Embrace the One who love us most!
What a loving Father/Shepherd, Redeemer, Savior, and Lord we have!
Live grateful lives—for what He has done we cannot do for ourselves—save our souls!
Lord,
Thank you for this psalm I was taught to memorize as a child so long ago. We’ve had a great journey together and I’m still learning about you! Thank you for parents and grandparents who knew you and led me to you in grateful praise. Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole. Thank you for teaching me Your Word that indeed provide wisdom and light throughout my entire life with you! I pray my children and grandchildren know you as they see you in me!
Thank you, even today for who you are to me. Thank you for our growing relationship that is intimate, holy, and comforting as well as challenging me to be more like you. Thank you for your love and care that is forever! To you be all glory, honor, and praise! I surrender gladly and praise you for all you have done, are doing and will do in my life. I love you, Lord and I’m listening.
ICYMI, you must watch the documentary, entitled The First Film on the Wonder streaming network! THE FIRST HYMN written probably a millennia ago was written on papyrus and unearthed by archeologists about a century ago and preserved. It has been now named as the first hymn written with musical direction. The song has been called a “spiritual and artistic triumph that has been 1,800 years in the making.”
John Dickson, professor at Wheaton College felt compelled to resurrect this hymn of pure praise to God and narrates the film. This forgotten Christian hymn, emerges from the sands of Egypt, its message challenges accepted history. Professor John Dickson unites ancient knowledge and modern music with Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding to bring the song back to life. Tomlin and Fielding accepted the challenge gladly and went to work to arrange a new song of worship to God using this found piece of history sung by persecuted believers of Jesus! Both Tomlin and Fielding felt the Holy Spirit guiding them throughout their collaboration. What was produced is touching the masses today with heart-felt, honest, humbled praise to God, our Father, in whom we believe and love with all our hearts, minds, and souls.
This production presented by the Wonder Project through Amazon Prime is truly a miracle move by God to gather specific people for the resurrection of this song found in the ruins. People today like you and I, hunger and thirst for new, simple but profound, songs that we can easily sing to our Lord wholeheartedly!
As we have been reading, studying, meditating and even singing the Psalms over the past few months in Daily Manna writings each day; we understand God more and trust Him greatly for He is greatly to be praised! Through the songs of those who were compelled to write down their psalms of praise coupled with humbled lament teaches us the character of our God who knows, loves, and cares for each one of us who He made in His image. God has not changed in His love and care for us—and He never will. What blessed assurance!
Psalm 99, The Message
1-3 God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne—take notice! God looms majestic in Zion, He towers in splendor over all the big names. Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you! Holy. Yes, holy.
4-5 Strong King, lover of justice, You laid things out fair and square; You set down the foundations in Jacob, Foundation stones of just and right ways. Honor God, our God; worship his rule! Holy. Yes, holy.
6-9 Moses and Aaron were his priests, Samuel among those who prayed to him. They prayed to God and he answered them; He spoke from the pillar of cloud. And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them. And then God, our God, answered them (But you were never soft on their sins). Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain. Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Love God; Love Others. We will revolution our world when we stick to the simple basic commands of God to love Him back and love others like He loves us—condemnation. Instead, God removes our sins forever because of Jesus’ work on the cross to redeem us by taking on our punishment.
We are commanded to Love. God takes care of the rest. Trust Him! God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is the only One Worthy, Good, Right and Fair to judge and condemn; yet, instead God chooses to convict and correct us as we walk with Him—all for our good. God also provides His comfort and strength with power and wisdom as He compels to follow Him. There is no one like our God who desires His best for us! The ancients knew this about God. Now we know what real Love is—It is God! Sing it out loud!
Chris Tomlin, Ben Fielding – The First Hymn (Official Lyric Video)
THE FIRST HYMN
Let all be silent The shining stars not sound Rushing rivers still Let the mountains bow down In awe and wonder In reverence we come Who is worthy of all worship? Who is seated on the throne?
All powers cry out in answer All glory and praise forever To our God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen, we sing, amen
Let all be silent The shining stars not sound Rushing rivers still Let the mountains bow down In awe and wonder In reverence we come Who is worthy of all worship? Who is seated on the throne? Who is worthy of all worship? Who is seated on the throne?
All powers cry out in answer All glory and praise forever To our God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen, we sing, amen
To the only Giver of all good gifts, amen To the only One who forgives our sins, amen To the only God to the Risen King To the One who died and rose again Amen, we sing amen To the only Giver of all good gifts (amen) To the only One who forgives our sins (amen) To the only God to the Risen King To the One who died and rose again Amen, we sing amen
All powers cry out in answer All glory and praise forever To our God The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen, we sing, amen, amen Amen, we sing, amen, amen
As kids playing tag on the playground; there were some mean kids we ran hard from but others we hardly ran at all because they were our friends. It was fun to run and be caught by our friends who enjoyed our company. I can still hear the giggles of being “caught” by those who loved us most.
There is One who is in pursuit of us who desires to be Our Friend for Life. His Name is Jesus, God’s Son, sent to demonstrate His relentless Love for us. Maybe it’s time to slow our pace and allow God’s Holy Spirit pursuit to meet us right in the middle of our messes, not to condemn but to set things right in our thinking and behaving. God’s desire is to love us and to be loved back in relationship to Him. God sent Truth with a Way out of our mess and Jesus is His Name. Jesus leads us to God who is Life eternal with a love that lasts a lifetime—to infinity and beyond! Jesus is the new Song of Salvation that begins a new relationship with God, the Father that is eternal! Be caught up in His loving arms!
Psalm 98, The Message
Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders!
He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right.
2 God made history with salvation, He showed the world what he could do.
3 He remembered to love us, a bonus To his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention. Look—God’s work of salvation!
4 Shout your praises to God, everybody! Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5 Round up an orchestra to play for God, Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6 Feature trumpets and big trombones, Fill the air with praises to King God.
7 Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, With everything living on earth joining in.
8 Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!” And mountains harmonize the finale—
9 A tribute to God when he comes, When he comes to set the earth right.
He’ll straighten out the whole world, He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it.
Jesus is God’s setting the world right—“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Jesus in the New Song of Salvation for all who believe. All the world is welcome at the Table of One who provided Salvation.
The enemy condemns, shames, and torments until death. God saves, helps, protects, provides, and removes sin and the associated shame we hold on to because of our sins.
Jesus’ sacrifice changed everything for all God’s created humans! Jesus became our salvation from sin and death and through Him God gives us life eternal! There is no other way but Jesus!
It is our option to choose—Choose Life! I praying for all of you reading this right now. Choose Jesus. No regrets. Loose the shame. Gain Eternal life.
Lord,
I will continue to write, speak, and sing of your salvation with every breath I take until I see you face to face in all your glory some sweet day! Thank you for life to the full, the yoke that is light and easy, the wealth of standing in Your Holy Presence with a thankful, grateful heart. Thank you for daily perfecting your love in us as we learn to love like you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In Jesus Name, by Your Power, for our good and Your Glory, Yes, and Amen
We’ve got to stop! We’ve just got to cease all foolish thinking at the door! We must stop thinking we have control over anything on earth and can handle life on our own! To continue is placing worship of self over God! Instead, bow to God who made us in His own image and sent His One and Only Son to save us from our sins, so we could grow to be more like Him in every way!
Diligently disciplining ourselves daily to first seek God, offer ourselves as an offering to Him with trusting surrender to His will, His “good, pleasing, and perfect will” as Paul writes in Romans 12:1-2 is the only way to walk humbly with God in a relationship that is holy, everlasting, loving, compassionate, and growing! Losing self to gain Jesus as Lord of our lives with the hope of eternal life brings peace to our troubled souls with unspeakable joy in tough circumstances that are unexplainable to most unbelieving humans. Our Creator knows us and knows all our needs before we know them and provides at just the right time with wisdom that is beyond our thinking.
Consistent Faith, Hope and Love for God lead us from self to more knowledge of God who saved us and set us free to live the promised abundant life with God. But the greatest of these, that must be our first thought and response to God, each other, and Life is Love—God’s love that permeates our hearts, minds, and souls. ALL of God living within every part of our being is the secret Jesus revealed to all when He came, healed, taught, served by putting our interests above His own comfort. Then He demonstrated the love of God when He died for our sins, then three days later rose victorious over sin and death. There is nothing we have done that God, who gave Jesus, does not forgive. THIS is the God who so loved the world! (John 3:16-17)
Life is different, opposite most times of our culture when God’s Love in us leads us in all we think, say, and do. We discover our behaviors changing to responding more and reacting less, to loving more and judging less, to hoping more and fearing less, as we watch our faith growing and bearing the fruits of God’s character—all because of Christ in us! (1 Corinthians 1:27)
To God be the glory. God is sovereign and reigns victorious over death cause by sin.
God rules; and I am glad He does!
Psalm 97, The Message
God rules:there’ssomething to shout over! On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ’round him; Right and justice anchor his rule.
3 Fire blazes out before him, Flaming high up the craggy mountains.
4 His lightnings light up the world; Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.
5 The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right, And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
7-8 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry— And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!
On your knees, all you gods—worship him! And Zion, you listen and take heart!
Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out: God has done it all, has set everything right.
9 You, God, are High God of the cosmos, Far, far higher than any of the gods.
10 God loves all who hate evil, And those who love him he keeps safe, Snatches them from the grip of the wicked.
11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.
12 So, God’s people, shout praise to God, Give thanks to our Holy God!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We grow to respond with faith, hope and love in all we think, say and do, asking for God’s wisdom in all the details. It is in the seeking that resisting evil becomes prevalent and stronger. A relationship with the Overcomer is foundational to our growing faith. We must lean on God’s Holy Spirit who comes in power to live in us to guide us truth with God’s way to live Truth out loud. When God’s Holy Spirit leads us; we cannot help but shine His light to the world in darkness! It is God who gives us the Power and Light of His Love!
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”—Paul’s words, inspired by God, to tell the church then and write it down for us now as believers. Philippians 2:14-16
The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Philippi, encouraging believers to stand out from a negative, cynical culture by maintaining a positive, pure, and obedient attitude. Attitudes driven by the love of God never fails.
Need back up?
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” –Daniel, prophet of God, centuries earlier. Daniel 12:3
Need a song to sing? One of my favorites from Newsboys sung a decade ago is SHINE! Here is the chorus that is catchy and will last all day long…
Shine. Make ’em wonder whatcha got. Make ’em wish that they were not On the outside looking bored. Shine. Let it shine before all men. Let em see good works and then Let em glorify the Lord.
I’m prayerfully singing a chorus of my youth to you, “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All his wonderful passion and purity, O thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine, Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.” Cleanse my heart, remove all that does not belong and fill me with the Light of Your Love. Let the morning bring Word of your unfailing love for all my trust, faith, hope, and love is in You. I believe.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
As I am honestly complaining to God this morning of problems and situations beyond my control; these words from God, written down by His prophet Isaiah, come to mind. His Word convicts me while His Holy Spirit corrects and reminds me of this waste use of brain power and energy. I have become childish in my ways, like a child running to his/her parent after daycare to declare all the things that went wrong and to talk about all who were unfair and mean to him/her. ALL these words of hurt spewed before the embrace of love between parent and child.
I need a new song to sing before my Lord God—the One and Only who created all, is in all and knows all before we know it! Yes, my new song must first declare His glory with thanksgiving for all He has done, is doing, and will do. Great is our God will be my first thought with trust and faith rising, driven by my love for Him who loved me first, died to save me, then gave me eternal life and calls me HIS CHILD! Yes, this is the new song I will sing before coming to Him, asking for his wisdom with a sincere heart, ready to listen.
This morning, the Psalmist gives us all the lyrics to the formation of our new song to sing with actions to take; Sing to the Lord, ProclaimHis Salvation, Declare His glory!
God is great and is most worthy of praise!
We discover an attitude shift immediately occurs when we sing, proclaim, and declare! Our problems fade into the background as the greatness of God takes first place in our thoughts and is sung from a heart of thanksgiving.
“How great is our God—sing with me—how great is our God!”
Psalm 96, NIV
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. 13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We learn to sing new songs of praise and respond to God in worship with gladness. We rise up from brokenness and complaining to embrace our Almighty God bends down to listen with compassion for He cares and is always at work on our behalf to transform us into all He created us to be! It is God who give us the new song to sing! God is the Song and we are His Singers.
Let ev’rything that, ev’rything that Ev’rything that has breath praise the Lord
Let ev’rything that, ev’rything that Ev’rything that has breath praise the Lord
Praise You in the morning, praise You in the evening
Praise You when I’m young and when I’m old
Praise You when I’m laughing, praise You with I’m grieving Praise You ev’ry season of the soul…
(Let Everything That Has Breath Song by Matt Redman)
“Three times in these verses we are commanded to sing to the Lord, and this parallels the three times in verses 7-8 that the psalmist commands us to “give” glory to God—recognize His glory. A new experience of God’s blessing, a new truth discovered in the Word, a new beginning after a crisis, a new open door for service—all of these can make an old song new or give us a new song from the Lord.”—Warren Wiersbe
Could the three times be said to honor the Trinity who is God in Three? God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and God’s Holy Spirit?
Lord
You are the God who makes all things new and I thank you for a new day to be lived with fresh starts, new thoughts of your glory, new beginnings, while leaning on your wisdom to live a blessed life of redemption from Jesus—all because of your love and compassions that never fail! I love you, Lord and I lift my voice to worship you, oh my God…Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My Jesus, my Savior Lord there is none like you All of my days, I want to praise The wonders of your mighty love My comfort, my shelter Tower of refuge and strength Let every breath, all that I am Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King Mountains bow down and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name I sing for joy at the work of your hands Forever I’ll love you, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have In YOU
Most of us grew up in church singing this song first introduced in our youth groups and then to the church at large. When sung with a pure heart and a mind ready to set aside all other agendas and just simple praise God for all He is and all He has done to save us grabs our hearts and minds and fills our souls with His Holy Spirit in ways that draw us closer to Him. Why, because that’s what praise for God alone does—God draws near us when we come to Him with heartfelt, humbled, holy praises over performance! God who sees our hearts is pleased when those hearts are committed to Him in thanksgiving.
As we read, meditate, and thank God this morning for this psalm; we remember who God is and what He has done ever so patiently, “over and over again” to protect us, provide for our needs, care for us even more than the birds of the air—even when we are slow to come to Him with all that is in us. Everything that has been created gives glory to God. The psalm writer encouraged the people to bring an offering of worship to God—the best of which is surrendering our will to His best plan for us! The words of the psalmist also give us the attitude of praise— “Let’s march into His presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns!” I challenge all worship leaders to use this line when leading and encouraging the church to stop dragging their feet but get up, march right into the throne room of God and give His praise! There is no one like our God! God is the One and Only we should worship and praise! Why—God is the Best!
Psalm 95, The Message
1-2 Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns!
3-5 And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth!
6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us! Oh yes, he’s our God, and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.
7-11 Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: “Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’ Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They’ll never get where they’re headed, never be able to sit down and rest.’”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
The Psalmist is leading us to worship as all believers all over the world! This is praise of God in community, not individual, although both are important. Our praise should be joyful and enthusiastic—he even commands us to sing and shout and to fully focuse on the Lord. The verb “come” in verse 2 means “to go to meet God face-to-face, to be in His presence.”
As believers in Jesus as Savior; we have new privileges that come with our transformed lives by His Holy Spirit! Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, believers are granted open, confident access to God. Instead of approaching with fear, we can draw near to God to receive mercy and find the exact grace needed for any situation. The writer of Hebrews explains;
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV
Let us not take this holy privilege for granted! Come, meet God face-to-face, and dwell in His Holy Presence for as long as necessary to receive His wisdom, love, mercy, and grace as we surrender to His will—God’s Best for us! Boldness and confidence come from the Lord at work within us; not from what we do.
Warren Wierbe, Bible scholar, writes;
“Praise means looking up, but worship means bowing down.Alas, some people who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and submitting. True worship is much deeper than communal praise, for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and experiencing the fear of the Lord and a deeper love for Him.
Too often Christian “praise” is nothing but religious entertainment, and it never moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. Our singing must give way to silence as we bow before the Lord. He alone is Jehovah, the Lord, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our Maker and our Shepherd (see Psalm 23; John 10). Jubilation has its place only if it becomes adoration and we are prostrate before the Lord in total submission, “lost in wonder, love, and praise.”—Wiersbe Study Bible
“Worship God alone; there will be no other gods before Me”—God, Exodus 20:3
Lord,
I trust in you alone for all the days of my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving my soul, making me whole, while leading me through fires and victories time after time! Yes, I trust You for You are Life!
In Jesus Name, Amen
I trust in God My Savior The One who will never fail He will never fail
Perfect submission All is at rest
I know the Author of tomorrow Has ordered my steps
So this is my story And this is my song
Praising my risen King and Savior All the day long…
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”Proverbs 4:23
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”1 Samuel 16:7
2 Chronicles 16:9a validates this wisdom to guard our hearts in order to stay fully committed to our Creator of hearts! Committed hearts are those who seek God, eagerly ready to listen with a willingness to trust, and obey. It is these pure hearts who God is looking for and desires to bless with all they need for the journey with Him! “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
From His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reiterates this “heart truth” by preaching: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. Matthew 5:8
Jesus teaches that our hearts or more than a vital organ that pumps blood to keep us alive. Jesus teaches that our hearts are the core of human identity—the center from which our thoughts, desires, motives, and moral choices flow. This is why pastors and teachers with wisdom who follow God’s Word warn us often to guard our hearts. Whatever we feed our hearts will come forth in our behaviors and will boomerang back upon us! Our hearts motivate and guide how we respond to God and to others whom He has created. May Jesus be the center at the core; for it is Jesus who brought salvation to our hearts, minds, and souls. God’s Holy Spirit was sent to guide our hearts to all Truth. Listen to Him.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”—Jesus, John 16:13, NIV
Prayerfully consider—
What is the condition of our hearts?
What responses and reactions will boomerang back to us? Love or hate? Kind affection or arrogance? Wicked manipulations or hearts of service?
Know this: God knowsour hearts. We are not hiding anything from Him. This can be comforting or frightening. If fear comes; surrender.
Surrender to God is the Way to purify our hearts. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, says Paul to the church then and is applicable to us now. (Romans 3:23) God made a Way through the sacrifice of His Son to purify our hearts. His name is Jesus. Jesus’ blood purifies and God’s Holy Spirit of Truth immediately moves into our hearts to refine us. Oh, what a Savior! Thank you, Father God for your Plan to save us and make us whole and wholly committed to You!
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) This was the heart cry of all the ancients, Jesus’ apostles and disciples. Believe and accept that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again. It is by His grace alone that we are saved and given eternal life! Then LIVE as redeemed people with fully committed hearts who long for the day to see Him face to face in all His glory! There is nothing God will not forgive. No one is like our God!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Come to Him now! Surrendered hearts are purified, refined and blessed by God! May Jesus be Lord of our lives today. Jesus already reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords forever, a title given to Him by God! (Philippians 2)
So, don’t be discouraged by the world around us who are not committed. The psalm writer of our song of the day felt surrounded by people who did not seek after God. He rejoiced that God would protect and care for the righteous who sought to walk with God.
Psalm 94, The Message
1-2 God, put an end to evil; avenging God, show your colors! Judge of the earth, take your stand; throw the book at the arrogant.
3-4 God, the wicked get away with murder— how long will you let this go on? They brag and boast and crow about their crimes!
5-7 They walk all over your people, God, exploit and abuse your precious people. They take out anyone who gets in their way; if they can’t use them, they kill them. They think, “God isn’t looking, Jacob’s God is out to lunch.”
8-11 Well, think again, you idiots, fools—how long before you get smart? Do you think Ear-Maker doesn’t hear, Eye-Shaper doesn’t see? Do you think the trainer of nations doesn’t correct, the teacher of Adam doesn’t know? God knows, all right— knows your stupidity, sees your shallowness.
12-15 How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right.
16-19 Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? If God hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it. The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,” your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up.
20-23 Can Misrule have anything in common with you? Can Troublemaker pretend to be on your side? They ganged up on good people, plotted behind the backs of the innocent. But God became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat, Then boomeranged their evil back on them: for their evil ways he wiped them out, our God cleaned them out for good.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
It is easy to grow weary and discouraged when we are surrounded by those who do not seek God. But God promises to be a shelter to those who are his children. Our identity is in Jesus, whom God provided as our Rescue and Savior. It is Jesus who gave us a new relationship with God that surpasses all understanding—an intimate, growing, loving, forever faithful relationship that lasts through all eternity!
Believe Truth as we read, contemplate, and pray—try not to put faces/names on our own enemies of arrogance, evil and pride as we read. Pray for them instead. Truth is, God knows and God is the One and Only Judge. We are not.
Lord,
Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, transform our thinking, refresh our souls with your new tender mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation at work with us to refine us and purify us.
It is time to pause to praise while we attempt to wrap our puny minds of thinking around thoughts of a God who knows our name, where we live, and knows the condition of our hearts just by looking deep inside. This is God who knows what we are thinking right now, knows what we think about most and often, and knows our current situation that might be ruling our behavioral reactions to our trials. God also knows just how much we believe along with the doubts we have.
God even knows the number of hairs on our heads—even after a shower that removes quite a few of them! God just knows. So, it seems fitting and right to just stop to consider all that God knows along with who His is to us. God is our Father in heaven to “all the children of the world” who believe in Him. He is our God who He loved His created so much that He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus to come down from his throne to earth below to tell us of His love then demonstrate in power the depths of His love by dying on a cross of shame for our sins.
Can we pause to remember that three days later, a power so great that it could only come from God, raised Jesus up from death to life which defeated death forever?
Can we fall on our knees with humbled praise and thank Him with all He has done to give us the hope of eternal life—with all that is in us with nothing held back?
Can we truly, honestly love God back because HE first loved us, knowing and believing that He reigns victorious over all that is troubling us right now, all that seems to capture our thoughts and cause us to worry, all that we say “will be the death of me”—but it won’t really, will it? Why? Because our God reigns! With God there is nothing beyond His wisdom, knowledge or power. Even Satan and His evil demons fear Him! With God nothing is impossible the ancients tell us, and it is God that put those words of truth in their mouths then did what He said He would!
So, let’s just stop all the thoughts swirling around in our heads as we begin another day to thank, praise, and honor God for who He was, is, and always will be—namely, God!
Psalm 93, The Message
1-2 God is King, robed and ruling, God is robed and surging with strength.
And yes, the world is firm, immovable, Your throne ever firm—you’re Eternal!
3-4 Sea storms are up, God, Sea storms wild and roaring, Sea storms with thunderous breakers.
Stronger than wild sea storms, Mightier than sea-storm breakers, Mighty God rules from High Heaven.
5 What you say goes—it always has. “Beauty” and “Holy” mark your palace rule, God, to the very end of time.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND TO GOD?
I’m reminded of another favorite song sung powerfully by Philips, Craig, and Dean—“You are God Alone”. Here is a link to enjoy in our praise to our God who loves all the children of the world and died to save them all!
Lord God,
You are indeed God alone and I praise you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am a list maker…even in retirement from my secular work. For me, what doesn’t get listed, doesn’t get done. It is also very rewarding for me to check that item off the list when it is accomplished. The list has a progression of priorities. One task cannot happen until another task is completed. And so life goes with my lists guiding my behavior and productivity.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE #6: Keep a Close Check on Yourself
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 